1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to electric instrument music control devices and more particularly to an electric instrument music control device that utilizes multi-axis position sensors to control various music effects.
2. State of the Art
The use of a pedal to control effects of an electric instrument is often employed by a musician to control effects such as volume, vibrato, tone or other types of music effects of an electric instrument. Conventionally, the method in which musicians control these effects is by use of an effects pedal. A conventional effects pedal is an electronic effects unit typically housed in a chassis used by musicians to modify the sound of their instrument.
These conventional effects pedals sit on the floor and have large on/off switches on top that are activated using the foot. Some pedals, such as volume pedals, employ what is known as an expression pedal, which is manipulated while in operation by rocking a large foot-activated pedal mechanically coupled to a potentiometer in a single back and forth motion. The relative position of the expression pedal thus determines the extent to which the music effect is altered. These effects pedals permit the musician to activate and deactivate effects and/or vary the intensity of effects while playing an electric instrument.
Other conventional effects pedals include pedals that utilize light, wherein the pedal controls the amount of light that is directed to a photo cell or other light level sensing devices, the amount of light corresponding to a change in a music effect or characteristic. Further still, other conventional effects pedals include the use of a micro-controller with a bar code that is changed to effect change in the music characteristic of the instrument.
While these conventional devices control music effects of electric instruments, they have their limitations. For example, conventional effects pedals typically require the musician to use a single pedal or input device to control a single music effect, which means that in order to control volume, vibrato and tone the musician would use multiple pedals. Further, conventional pedals are subject to wear due to the mechanical operation of the potentiometer or the limited life of a light source. Conventional pedals are also limited in their ability to adjust the music effect according to various effects curves and/or with a preferred effect curve of the particular musician. Additionally, the musician needs to dedicate one foot during a performance in order to control these effects during playing of the electric instrument, thereby preventing the use of one foot that may otherwise be used for another purpose such as to generate notes with another particular electric instrument. Further still, the conventional devices are static and placed in a single location on a fixed surface.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field of electric instruments music effects devices for an improved electric music effects device that overcomes the limitations of conventional electric music effects devices.